#frenchimmigration# Introduction Food plays an important role in the social life of French citizens. Wine and cheese are a source of national pride and reflect regional differences. Meals are ritualized and imbued with social and cultural meaning. Immigrant to live in France and learn about French food. The following content is compiled and published by!

1. Immigrant to France to learn about French food

The three main meals in France are breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although lunch has a very important place in the agricultural economy and is still the main meal in rural areas, there is now a trend for families to eat their largest meal in the evening. Breakfast is simple with bread, cereal, yogurt, coffee or hot chocolate. Lunch and dinner usually consist of several courses, with at least a first course and main course, followed by cheese and/or dessert. In restaurants, there is usually a price that includes all these courses, as well as a choice of dishes. Children have a snack after school, which usually consists of biscuits, bread, jam or chocolate and a drink.

A meal involves a series of lessons. A typical family meal starts with soup, followed by vegetable and meat dishes, then salad, cheese and dessert. Wine is usually served with the meal. Children begin drinking wine at family dinners in their teens, often drinking wine diluted with water. Even though both spouses work full-time, most daily food preparation is done by the wife and mother in the home environment. For working women who are pressed for time, there is increasing pressure to prepare healthy meals that reflect traditional values. As a result, convenience foods are becoming more common in the country and fast food is a growing trend.

Holidays in France are associated with special foods. On Christmas Eve, Catholic families attending midnight mass serve a delicious meal. The meals include salmon, oysters, turkey and fresh cakes. In many areas, pancakes are eaten every year on February 2, the Feast of Our Lady. In country weddings, the ceremonial nature and symbolic meaning of food is evident. Often, in the morning after the wedding, a mixture of food and drink is sent down the newlyweds' toilet. These mixtures can include champagne, chocolate or a savory soup of carrots and onions.

What French immigrants need to understand is that in many rural areas it is still common practice to slaughter a pig each winter and prepare sausages, patties, hams, roasts and cutlets for freezing. These were ceremonial occasions, and everyone who helped the family was given a portion of the pig.

2. How to quickly adapt to local life after moving to France?

1. Cycling

As a country, the French absolutely love cycling. Every summer, l'Hexagone gets a fever as the Tour de France's high-intensity cross-country bikes traverse the roads and byways. Travel through the country's spectacular scenery before ending on the Champs Elysées in Paris. But the fun doesn't stop there. Many French cities, including the capital, have invested heavily in cycling infrastructure in recent years. So whether you're wearing the yellow jersey or just commuting, there's no reason not to use two wheels.

If you want to get around by bike, there are many options. Perhaps the most obvious is to simply buy your own. If you live in the countryside and want to visit your local bakery in a pleasant way, this is the option. However, many larger cities have bike-free schemes that allow you to move around central areas as you please, getting on and off bikes as you please. What better way to explore your new home?

　2. Green Programs

Sometimes, you may feel like your entire life is spent on your smartphone, chatting with loved ones and browsing apps. If you're a little addicted to your phone, why not let it help you live a green life in France? Downloading the right app is the first step towards sustainable French living, and it's easy – luckily, there are plenty of options. Whether it's an app for your local bike riding program or one that helps you find your nearest vegetarian restaurant, the choice is yours. But remember, to make sure these apps make a difference, you have to download something you'll actually use.

　3. Bank paperless

One of the first things you need to do when building a new life in France is to open a French bank account. Not only does having a local account help you set up any payments (such as your home internet connection or your French mobile phone bill), but it also makes it easier to buy all those household essentials in France. However, as we all know, banking often comes with a lot of paperwork. From bank statements to credit card bills, it seems like a forest is passing through your mailbox.

To save your home from all the unnecessary banking paperwork, why not sign up for mobile banking? Mobile banking in France is simple and easy as more banks enter the market. These include traditional French retail banks and a number of mobile-specific banks, including N26 and bunq. Not only can you sign up for an account in minutes by downloading the app, but you can also have all your bills, statements, and more sent directly to your phone.

4. Apply for green energy

Just imagine, if you only need to flick a switch at home, can you live more sustainably in France? Okay, so that might be pushing it, but signing up for green energy is the way to go. It could also signal to energy suppliers that renewable energy is popular, prompting them to invest more in these green sources. Although France generates most of its energy from its network of nuclear power plants, there is a growing movement towards sustainable methods including wind, solar and hydroelectricity.

If you are a new immigrant to France, setting up home utilities is probably one of the first things on your to-do list. If you're in the market for green energy in France, you're in luck as there are plenty of options to choose from. An increasing number of French energy companies are offering green power packages as part of their product ranges. These include:

EDF

ENGI

Discounted energy

5. Buy local

At One of the options of living in France is exploring your new home, whether it's the nearby grocery store or the Sunday morning flea market in the nearest village. While all of this may be part of the quintessential French life of your dreams, you'll actually be helping the environment too. That’s right, by keeping it local, you’re doing your part for the future of our planet by reducing emissions from all manufacturing, farming, and transportation.

Instead of stocking your local supermarket with all the food produced abroad, just go to the nearest market. Most towns and villages in France hold markets at least once a week. Here you can pick up a variety of locally produced meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and other delicacies. The flea market (brocante) is also a great place for all authentic French furniture. Just imagine, you can avoid mass-produced flat-pack options and bring new life to this classic dresser in your French farmhouse.

6. Growth

Have you ever dreamed of a life dependent on the fertility of the land? Buying local is an effective way to go green, but nothing beats growing your own at home. Imagine cooking a great French recipe like ratatouille or beef bourguignon using vegetables grown outside your back door. Or make some traditional French ice cream with apples picked from the orchard? Suddenly going green sounds more exciting.

Are there no farmhouses in Provence? Don't let that put you off. Even if you live in a studio in the heart of Paris, you can still live sustainably in France by growing your own food at home. You can start with something basic, like an herb garden on your windowsill or a tomato plant on your balcony. These can be used in any dish you make for family and friends. You're sure to be impressed with the delicious food you create.

7. Ditch the plastic in the garden

In addition to a brand new vegetable patch, there are many ways to make a cottage garden part of your new green lifestyle. One of the easiest things you can do is remove plastic from your garden. You’d be surprised how much plastic is used in modern gardens, so why not try to reduce its use and make your garden a little greener?

You can choose sturdy, long-lasting wooden garden furniture and patio furniture. Not only will this give your green space an elegant feel, but it will also help you avoid dealing with unsightly and environmentally harmful plastic. But it doesn't have to stop at the furniture. Terracotta pots and planters are also a plastic alternative. Or, if you have the skills, you could even build some wooden planters.

8. Leave the car at home

Rethinking the way cars are used in France is one of the ways to achieve sustainable living in France. Transport is one of the contributors to carbon emissions across Europe. Using a personal vehicle is a big part of this, and leaving four wheels at home is an easy way to live green with ease. But you don't need to invest in the latest Tesla to boost the green credentials of your French commute.

France may be a European country, but you can still get around quickly and efficiently using the local public transport network. Larger cities have metros and trams, all connected to high-speed rail networks and local bus services. But for a healthier commute, why not jump on two wheels? Whether you're riding a bike or taking advantage of your new home's local e-scooter platform, you'll quickly find the option that's right for you.

9. Compost Food Waste

Just hosted a fabulous French feast for your family? Or have you prepared some delicious French snacks for your friends? No matter what you do in the kitchen, you probably want to consider all of these food scraps. Before sliding them straight into the trash, why not consider composting? Some French municipalities* include food compost bins as part of their regular waste and recycling collections.

But if you’re committed to green living in France, you might want to take composting to the next level. Whether you have a cozy balcony in the middle of Montpelier or a leafy garden on the outskirts of Paris, getting started is easy.

There are two main methods of composting at home: worm bins and bokashi. Bokash systems include microorganisms, while worm bins contain many worms. You can place your compost bin on your kitchen counter, on your balcony or in your garden. Before you know it, you'll have excellent homemade compost that will help your plants and flowers thrive.

10. Recycle

So far on this list, we’ve looked at various ways to enrich your new life in France. But one way to do that is...recycling. Although France's recycling system can seem a little confusing to newcomers, you shouldn't let this put you off. Once you master these points, you'll soon find yourself recycling with ease.

From newspapers and magazines to all those leftover wine bottles, you'll be able to give it all a new life!